VIDEO: Retirement Homes Help Seniors Become Tech Savvy
There are several myths concerning technology and how seniors are approaching this new digital age, one of which is that they can't or won't adapt. If science has proven anything wrong, it's the old adage that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. How many of your parents or grandparents are now on Facebook, or have email? How many of you have your own digital reader or laptop? The world of technology is becoming so integrated into our lives the line of separation between the two will soon thin and eventually disappear.
Computers user-friendly
Once the domain of scientists and lab technicians, computers no longer intimidate the way they once did. They don't take a PHd to operate, an entire room to house and a mint to afford. Computers have transcended their origins and become extremely intuitive which has opened up their use to an aging population. They come in all shapes and sizes, have many different uses and have become integrated into retirement communities, fostering a new form of interaction in and out of the community.
(Watch: Marilyn Hepburn is heralding a new digital age for seniors)
Technology and computer use is gaining new converts within retirement communities. "Well I've operated on computers since they came out," says Marilyn Hepburn a resident at Palisades on the Glen retirement community, who is in her early seventies. "But what is interesting is seeing some of these 70, 80 and 90-year-olds suddenly saying, 'oh there's something I'm missing, it's something I should learn,'" says Marilyn.
Computer courses
Palisades on the Glen offers courses to help residents learn the ins and outs of computers. They've also set up a computer lab with games to help seniors improve and maintain their memories. Recently Marilyn and several residents started a book club using Kindles. "Through doing that it's amazing how many people get curious...and I can see a growth in that," she says.
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How has technology changed your life? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
